Nicholas Bograd

NOSTALGIC RETAIL SERIES: #7 - ZAYRE Brothers Max and Morris Feldberg founded a company in Boston in 1919 to supply undergarments to department stores. When sales began to decline, they ventured out to create a new discount department store. The first Zayre location opened in Hyannis in 1956. Zayre which was a transformation from the Jewish saying “Zehr fgut” which means very good, grew into one of the largest retail chains in the country with almost 1,200 locations nationwide. In the '70s, Zayre tried to buy Marshalls but failed. Their answer was to create a Marshalls clone, TJ Maxx, in 1977. Yes....TJ Maxx❗ In the mid 1980’s profits began to decline which eventually led to Zayre filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988. The department store chain was then sold to Ames and by 1990 Zayre ceased to exist. Ames, kept the exterior similar to the style of the shuttered Zayre locations. Ames filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and their remaining stores were closed shortly after. Zayre’s one-time subsidiary TJX (TJMaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods) is thriving. Missed any in the series? Click here: https://bit.ly/3U8etfa #nostalgicretail #retail #shopping #brands #retailrealestate

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#HotTake: Retail stores aren’t a shortcut to success. Retail offers bigger POs, visibility, and cash flow Yet, it doesn’t ensure brand sustainability Case in point: JLo Beauty Despite celeb status and prime placement at Sephora, She faced challenges resulting in a US exit Retail alone doesn’t secure loyalty or repeat sales Placement isn’t guaranteed forever For lasting success, think beyond the retail PO Some markers of a sustainable brand include: Authenticity, community, differentiated formulas, and true fans Building a lasting brand legacy requires more than a retail presence – 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Monique, a former retail buyer turned beauty industry advisor who helps emerging brands ready to scale at big retail. If you are ready to scale and invest, book a discovery call, and let’s see if we can work together.

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Kohl’s had a challenging Q3 with soft sales in apparel and footwear, but there were bright spots, too.🌟The retailer delivered gross margin expansion and tightly managed expenses. Other bright spots: ✅ Growth in Key Areas: Kohl’s saw strong performance across Sephora, home décor, gifting, and impulse 🛒 Partnership Expansion: Continued success with the opening of Babies “R” Us shops in 200 stores 🚀Future Momentum: Kohl’s is taking “aggressive action” to address declines, with a customer-first focus in all that they do and a new CEO, Ashley Buchanan, bringing fresh leadership in January For a summary of today’s highlights and our take-aways, see our CPG by MPG Earnings Report Recap. For deeper insights to drive your brand business at Kohl’s, reach out to Jaspreet Kaleka, [email protected]. #RetailInsights #marketing #Kohls #omnichannel #omnicommerce #mpg #marketperformancegroup 

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Tuesday, June 18: ✂️ The parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily announced it has eliminated its co-chief executive roles, eliminated its dual chief merchant roles, and expanded the role of its executive chairman. 🧘🏽‍♀️ Athleta bought its first TV ad ahead of the Paris Olympics, featuring Simone Biles. Biles and fellow Olympian Katie Ledecky, both members of Athleta’s Power of She collective, will appear in digital and out-of-home creative. 🔌 Analysts say to buy Best Buy stock for an AI device upgrade boost and a whole lot more. Higher levels of product innovation, including those with features using AI, should drive demand for new electronic products. 🤖 McDonald's has informed franchisees that it is ending an artificial intelligence drive-thru order taking program. More than 100 McDonald’s locations were testing the technology, dating back to 2021. 🎮 Shares of GameStop tumbled on Monday after CEO Ryan Cohen told investors that the videogame retailer plans to operate a smaller network of stores and gave no details on what it plans to do with its cash pile. 🛠️ Canadian home improvements retailer RONA has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, with J.P. Towner taking over from Andrew Iacobucci. 🍎 Apple ending its buy now, pay later service, just over a year after launching it. The service allowed customers to split purchases between $50 and $1,000 into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest and no fees. 💊 Care/of, known for its vitamin and supplement subscriptions, is shutting down due to a lack of funding. As a result, the company is no longer accepting new orders and is canceling all subscriptions. 📺 A growing number of major retailers are creating and operating their own advertising platforms, known as retail media. Amazon leads the way, earning $46.9bn from advertising in 2023. 👎🏼 Customer experience is getting worse again. The average customer experience rating of US companies hits a new low amid inflation and fallible customer-service chatbots. 🚚 Instant delivery apps like Blinkit and Swiggy's Instamart are disrupting India's retail market, offering low prices and speedy deliveries. Experts say the country's 11m small shopkeepers will be particularly affected by the trend. 💰 Australian women's wear retailer City Chic is looking to raise around A$25m ($16.5m) to boost its balance sheet, and will also sell off Avenue, its American brand. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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No two brands are the same, no two strategies will work for everyone. No theory or instrument of technology works for every brand the same. No merchandising, marketing, buying or supply chain principles can help a brand that is not properly connected with the market. If you had a dollar for very idea chased because it looks good, feels good you would have millions. The biggest hurdle for a brand is to simply belong and have a place in the minds and hearts of consumers. It’s not easy and that’s why so few occupy the number one, two or three market positions in all industries. But there is room for a lot of retailers the key is to being trusted and consistent in product, service and communication. However, if it’s number 1,2 or 3 you want to play in you will have to work a lot harder. However, we all need to be aware it is going to get much tougher to stay in business, the 50-60% that live paycheck to paycheck and debt, they are looking for value. Another 20% are fundamentally able to live a little bit better and can spend more. The other 20% can be broken down into financially sound, wealthy and wealthier the latter being the top 1%. The numbers will change but not how you think. That 60% may become 70% you see what this last run with inflation has done its created a bigger gap with affordability. And it is a global phenomenon. I am former C level executive, current board chair, advisor, investor and public speaker. I enjoy helping businesses and leaders improve their potential to win in the marketplace. I bring real world experience to the table. #retailing #strategy #ceo #technology #innovaiton #economy

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It’s line review season in retail. I’ve been on both sides of the meeting. It's tough to know what to share. Here are six tips I’d share with brands already on the shelf who want to nail their presentations. Tip 1: Be Engaging Buyers are in back-to-back meetings. Be sure to add some sizzle, and personalize the conversation if you know them. Tip 2: Remind them of Who You Are Most buyers manage 50+ brands. They may not recall what the current assortment is. Recall your brand’s “why.” Walk them through the current state and the desired future state. Tip 3: Share *Relevant* Market Performance Buyers don’t necessarily want to hear about the competition. Talk about growth at other retailers if it ties into your desired future state for that retailer. Tip 4: Cover the Business Go through your current business performance. If it’s going well - know your ask for more. If it’s not going well, have suggestions prepared to offer solutions. Tip 5: Provide Positive Updates Share what you’re excited about: a new influencer partnership, a new product launch, new operations, new people on the team. Tip 6: Ask Questions What best practices are you seeing from your top-performing brands? Are you noticing any changes in the consumer that we should be aware of? Maximize this opportunity to talk with the buyers. Share news about your business Gather the intel you can use to help your business grow.

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🌟 New LECHERY Styles Dropped At Anthropologie 🌟: Introducing our best-selling styles at Anthropologie! Our values at LECHERY strongly align with the Anthropologie customer, "women who prioritize self-expression and creativity, women who want to be and look like themselves." That's exactly the type of customer LECHERY has always tried to target -- the unabashed. Anthropologie was founded in 1992 in Wayne, Pennsylvania and now operates 200 stores around the world and is part of the URBN (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie Group, Free People & Nuuly) portfolio of brands. I remember walking into an Anthropologie store for the first time on the Upper East Side seven years ago and immediately fell in love with their boho-chic inspired collections. At the time, I was broke as hell with several hundred dollars in my bank account, and couldn't afford anything but maybe a couple of hair accessories and a pair of socks. Seven years later, you're able to shop LECHERY at Anthropologie. You can imagine how extra special this moment is for me. If there's anything to take away from this post, it is truly to put your all when it comes to your business and remove everyone and everything that is no longer serving you. xx, Vyra Scher, Founder of LECHERY _____ P.S. - If you liked this post, please hit the like, share, or repost ♻ button! #VyraScher #Founder #LECHERY #LECHERYNewYork #Hosiery #FounderJourney #FounderStories #LinkedIn #LinkedInForCreators #Branding #BrandIdentity #Entrepreneur #EntrepreneurMindset #Anthropologie #URBN #Retail #Retailers

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When opening new stores, an indicator worth reviewing is how much of the original opening team remains 6 months / 12 months / 18 months in. #retail #retailtraining #retailtech

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Since 2019, Kohl's sales have shrunk by $2.3 billion. That’s a pretty terrible number given consumer spending on retail rose by a dramatic $1.3 trillion over the same period.     The Kohl’s losses are a combination of existing customers spending less and the complete defection of some shoppers. Over the past five years, Kohl’s has lost 1.3 million customers: people who used to visit Kohl’s, but now they don’t. Most of these folks still buy things so it’s interesting to see where they’re now shopping, or shopping more at, instead of Kohl’s. The diagram below traces the defections. The most notable thing is the gains being made by off-price retailers. TJX – with its TJMaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods banners – is picking up a lot of trade. Ross, Nordstrom Rack, and Burlington are also in the mix. It’s no wonder off-price is doing so well when it’s gaining so many customers from chains like Kohl’s. What’s also notable is that online specialists don’t dominate. Amazon has picked up some trade, as has Wayfair, but neither are the main beneficiaries of Kohl’s woes. This underscores that the very simplistic narrative of ‘online killed…” is often far from the truth. It is also significant that Costco makes an appearance. Costco is a silent assassin. Many retailers don’t have it on the radar for non-food; but the reality is that Costco has a formidable non-food business. Retailers like Kohl’s don’t underperform because one large enemy comes in and swoops away all the custom. Their substantial loss of trade comes from many players nibbling away at their sales and market share. #retail #retailnews #departmentstores #wholesale #shoppers

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An article in The Business of Fashion on "Fashion's Golden Opportunity With Older Shoppers"... Is total and complete BS. There is an opportunity across ALL shoppers. Dividing them up by descriptors that have been used for decades is just not going to cut it anymore. While teaching fashion marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology last Fall, there were modules on generations and how they spend, how they consume information, etc. I had to add caveats to each statement in the textbook because you can't make these types of assumptions anymore. This is an old school way of marketing. We can't put customers into these buckets anymore as there are so many other data points to consider. The affluent customer shops at Walmart, Target and Costco Wholesale. The tech boom will go through another cycle and you will have more younger customers with disposable income. Resale luxury is bought by Gen Z to the boomer. Generalizing is a wasted effort and it's what gets retailers in trouble with excess inventory to irrelevant product assortments. The customer has evolved across generations and we need to stop generalizing to avoid marketers look at the data in just 1 way. #retail #retailnews #fashion #fashionmarketing #bof

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Retail leaders - is your resume producing the results you need? If not, check out my profile to see how I might be able to help. I have more than 500 recommendations from clients and recruiters, including this one from a store manager in Massachusetts: "First, I must say, that I am truly amazed at the final product, my resume spotlights my strengths, skills, and talents, in a cohesive, yet specific way that is very professional. More importantly, the process of working with Michael to achieve this was seamless, from his inexhaustible supply of patience with my questions, concerns, and tweaks, to his clarity and helpfulness in explaining the 'whys' and the 'hows' of resume writing. If anyone is ever looking for any help on their resume...Michael is your guy!" Check out my profile for many more. #retail #resumes #resumewriter

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NOSTALGIC RETAIL SERIES: 15 - LINENS 'N THINGS "In November 1958, Eugene Wallace Kalkin established a leased-linen department in the New Jersey discount retailer Great Eastern Mills. In August 1970, Great Eastern Mills opened the first Linens 'n Things store in East Brunswick, New Jersey. After a succession of corporate ownership changes and the bankruptcy of Daylin, Inc. in 1975, Kalkin bought seven locations out of bankruptcy and founded an independent parent company, which became Linens 'n Things, Inc.." *[Home Textiles Today]* In 1983, Melville Corporation acquired the 55 unit chain. By 2006, the chain boasted 571 stores in the U.S. and Canada. The company's business strategy was "to offer a broad selection of high quality, brand name home furnishings merchandise at exceptional everyday values, provide superior guest service, and maintain low operating costs."*[The Wayback Machine]* But with a ton of debt from private equity buyouts (I know we have never heard this story before), all Linens 'n Things stores were closed in late 2008. As with many of the retailers in this series, the brand went online only with a relaunch in early 2009 and then shut down their online-only presence in 2018. The rights to the brand were acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures in 2020 and the website was relaunched. As of today, it is active with brands of yesteryear showing on the top banner that live on in an online only fashion. Missed any posts in the series? Click here for the website with the full list: https://bit.ly/3YxvVfR #nostalgicretail hashtag#retail hashtag#shopping hashtag#brands hashtag#retailrealestate Photo: By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://bit.ly/40tAiK6

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Target Pulls Out of a Sales Rut. Macy's Doesn't Target and TJMaxx are seeing impressive gains as shoppers hunt for deals. Target’s strategic price cuts have driven more store visits, leading to a 13% jump in shares. T.J. Maxx also raised its profit goals, with shares up 5%. In contrast, Macy's continues to struggle, reporting another quarter of declining sales and a 14% drop in shares. Target’s CEO, Brian Cornell, highlighted the resilience of consumers despite high #inflation, noting a 2% rise in comparable sales and a 3% increase in shopper visits. This growth comes after a challenging year with four consecutive quarters of declines. Shoppers are spending more on nonfood items like #apparel, showing that Target’s efforts to lower prices and introduce new items are paying off. Meanwhile, Walmart reported a 4.2% rise in U.S. comparable sales, and Amazon noted a shift towards deals and lower-priced essentials. Macy’s CEO, Tony Spring, pointed out that consumers are now more value-conscious, focusing on exclusivity and service rather than just price. Despite years of price increases, U.S. consumer spending remains strong. However, retailers like The Home Depot and Lowe's Companies, Inc.’s are seeing stagnant sales as shoppers hold off on big projects. #Retail #SalesGrowth #Target #TJMaxx #Macy’s #ConsumerTrends #RetailNews #BusinessUpdate https://lnkd.in/eSM2uQ85

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, June 6: 🧘🏽‍♀️ lululemon beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates, but issued weak second-quarter guidance as it contends with a slowdown in the Americas, its largest market. 👕 Hanesbrands Inc. will sell Champion to Authentic Brands Group in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion with performance incentives. Authentic owns brands such as Reebok, Forever 21 and Quiksilver. 5️⃣ Five Below cut its outlook for the year, warning that its core low-income shoppers were facing an outsized impact from years of inflationary pressures. It posted an unexpected decline in same-store sales for the first quarter. 👙 Victoria’s Secret & Co. said it was encouraged by demand for its bras, sleepwear and other clothing in May, but the company said it was exercising restraint amid continued caution more broadly among the US consumer. 🏪 Foxtrot intends to reopen several locations in Chicago in the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. The news comes after Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market closed on April 23. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores Tree said that it had started a formal review of strategic alternatives for Family Dollar, which it said could include among others, a potential sale, spin off or other disposition of the business. 💵 Walmart is now offering bonuses to its hourly employees in the US., the company announced Wednesday. The longer an associate has been with the company, the higher the associate's bonus potential, to a maximum of $1,000. 📚 In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco Wholesale plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer’s plans said Wednesday. 🚚 Albertsons and Uber have launched a new food rescue initiative that aims to address food insecurity and food waste in several major US cities. The program donates surplus food from the grocer’s stores to local nonprofits. 📸The TJX Companies, Inc., parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it’s equipping some store employees with body cameras to thwart shoplifting and keep customers and employees safe. 🍔 McDonald's lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top European Union court sided Wednesday with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running legal battle. ✂️ The Bank of Canada's decision on Wednesday to cut interest rates from 5% to 4.75% is expected to provide financial relief to Canadians and encourage consumer spending. 🧳 Shinola and Filson parent Bedrock Manufacturing Company has appointed Steve Katzman to the role of CEO and Kevin Wertz as chief marketing officer. 🇦🇺 ALDI Stores Australia is moving into the insurance sector, with the launch of a series of homes and contents, car, and landlord products. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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LinkedIn is being weird so I'm reposting. #RetailDisrupted is back after a summer break and my first guest is GameStop and Laura Mercier Cosmetics co-founder Gary Kusin. We talk about everything from malls and makeup to meme stocks! 💄 🎮 📈 ♦ GameStop’s origins: what inspired Gary and James McCurry to launch the world’s first video game store in the early 80s? ♦ The pivot to makeup: Gary discusses how a conversation with former Macy’s Chairman Terry Lundgren sparked the idea for Laura Mercier. ♦ Continuous improvement versus continuous change. ♦ Customer centricity: why so many brands today fail to get this right. ♦ Kinko’s: Gary shares how, as Kinko’s CEO, he turned the loss-making business into to a highly profitable enterprise that was later acquired by FedEx. ♦ Meme stocks: Gary shares his views on the GameStop stock market frenzy. Full episode in comments and is available on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, if you're able to leave a quick ⭐ rating, this really helps the show! 🙏 https://lnkd.in/eWFUE7Vw #gamestop #lauramercier #kinkos #fedex #retailinsights #retail #retailpodcast #leadership #retailleadership #garykusin

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🚀 Big News Alert: Saks Buys Neiman Marcus with a Boost from Amazon! 🚀 Hey everyone! Just had to share this HUGE update in the luxury retail world. Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company is dropping $2.65 billion to scoop up Neiman Marcus, and guess what? Amazon’s in on the action, bringing their tech and logistics game. 🛍️✨ Here’s the Tea: • Power Move: Merging two luxury legends to create a mega retail powerhouse. • Tech Boost: With Amazon on board, expect next-level tech integration for a seamless shopping experience, both online and offline. • Big Bucks: Financed by top-tier investors like Rhône Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, plus $1.15 billion in debt from Apollo Global Management. • Market Shakeup: The new combo will hit around $10 billion in annual sales, giving them major leverage with suppliers and streamlining costs. Why It’s a Big Deal: This merger shows how vital tech and partnerships are in today’s retail scene. It’s proof that luxury retail is evolving and adapting, even when times are tough. For investors, this move is a clear sign of confidence in the luxury sector’s future and the potential for new opportunities. Big things are coming, and I am excited to be part of this evolving industry. Stay tuned for more updates as we keep pushing the boundaries in luxury retail!

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Off to a fast start, TJX the owner of off-price apparel retailers TJ Maxx and Marshalls, may want to play the role of the tortoise rather than the hare. The parent raised its full-year earnings per share forecast and is optimistic about its prospects for the holiday shopping season. But, there's something worth paying attention to for the long term - growth. Despite a year of significant growth, the parent company of Marshalls, HomeGoods, and T.J. Maxx, continues to see increased sales. As consumers remain more selective in their buying habits, it's clear the company is attracting value-conscious consumers who are shifting away from traditional department stores like Macy's and Kohl's. More importantly, and this is a bigger shift, younger shoppers are increasingly embracing off-price shopping that only benefits discount retailers such as TJX. Where's the red flag? One word: growth. Like Target's bad Q3 earnings, TJX's growth curve may be plateauing and a sign of what to expect this holiday shopping season. Unlike Target whose customer base is geared towards middle-income shoppers, TJX's customers fall more into the lower-income category. They're also much more sensitive to inflation and other economic changes. For its holiday quarter, TJX is expecting comparable sales to grow between 2% and 3%, which is in line with estimates. But, domestic growth is slowing. During the quarter, comparable sales at its Marmaxx division, which includes T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and Sierra stores, were up 2%, compared with 7% in the year-ago period. Comparable sales at HomeGoods were up 3%, compared with 9% a year ago, while TJX Canada grew 2%, compared with 3% last year. The company knows it, which is why they're focusing on growing internationally. Like it said, TJX is off to a fast start. The discount retailer now needs to hope its forecasts are on track, and its customers can stretch it out this holiday shopping season https://lnkd.in/gcMeA2ek #tjx #tjmaxx #retail #consumers #holidays #holidayshopping

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Aloha Friday! 🤙🏼 Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Friday, May 24: 👖 Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. rallied in extended trading Thursday after the discount clothing chain raised its full-year profit forecast, even as higher prices continue to hit its low- to middle-income shoppers. 👕 Ralph Lauren ended its fiscal year on an upbeat note with earnings and revenue that beat expectations as its average unit prices continued to rise. Ralph Lauren’s revenue increased 2% to $1.568 billion. 🥫 Ahold Delhaize has announced plans to close an undisclosed number of underperforming Stop & Shop grocery stores in the US this year. The closures are part of an evaluation of the overall portfolio. 🏠 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. CEO Laura Alber has explained she's handling a tough housing market. The chain is leaning into what it calls easy updates, or things consumers can do for their homes when they’re not moving. 📦 Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is worried about the “negative consequences” of regulating big businesses, including the Seattle-based tech and e-commerce conglomerate, he told shareholders at Amazon’s annual meeting. 🥩 Lidl US is preparing to overhaul its meat department in time for Independence Day, according to a top company official. It also plans to launch a new private label for packaged meats. 👚 The chief executive and board of Gildan Activewear have resigned, following hedge fund Browning West's successful proxy campaign. New board members intend to reinstate company founder Glenn Chamandy as CEO. 🧴 Joining other brands in Amazon’s beauty hub, skin care brand Kiehl’s has launched its products in the Amazon Premium Beauty store. Kiehl’s will have a dedicated digital storefront within the Amazon Premium Beauty section. 🇨🇳 China's online retail sales have continued to grow steadily in the first four months of 2024. According to official data from the Ministry of Commerce, online retail sales increased 11.5% year-over-year to 4.41tn yuan ($620.52bn). 🏬 Seattle’s Pacific Place mall sells at deep discount. The mall sold for $66.75 million, well below its 2014 sale price of $271 million. Its nearly 1,200-stall garage sold for $21.5 million, down from $87 million in 2016. 🍪 Mondelēz International, the maker of Oreo, has been fined €337.5 million ($366 million) for hindering the trade of chocolate, cookies and coffee between European Union countries in order to keep prices high. ☕️ Florida's top legal officer on Wednesday said the state will investigate Starbucks, the multinational chain of coffeehouses, for its diversity, equity and inclusion practices. 🎫 In a groundbreaking antitrust lawsuit that threatens to upend the way concertgoers pay for tickets, the US government and dozens of states sued Live Nation on Thursday in a bid to split up the company. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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